Back To The Present
by Ravenwolf10
Summary: This is a X:WP story with a little different twist!  We find our heros up to their necks in crime bosses and car chases!  Xena, Gabrielle and Ares are on the adventure of their lives!
1. Chapter 1

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent._

Part I

Discord's Discord

Ares sat looking out the window of his temple, deep in thought. He had been unsuccessful once again in his quest to lure Xena, the Warrior Princess, back to his side. His obsession with her had haunted him since she left her dark ways as a warlord, in favor of fighting for good. " I must get her to come back, some way, some how!"

As Ares sat at the window, Discord came storming in angrily.

"Ares! There you are! I've been waiting for you! Where have you been? We had plans, remember? Ares? ARES! are you listening to me?"

"What do you want, Discord?"

"What do I want?" Oh, great, you have forgotten again! This is the third time this week! It's Xena, isn't it? You've been thinking about Xena again! Ares, I am so sick of this silly obsession you have with that mortal!"

"It's none of your concern, Discord. Who and what I choose to obsess with is my business. Now, why don't you run along and play!" Ares arrogantly smiled at her and continued looking out the window.

Discord stomped angrily out of Ares' chamber. "XENA! Ok, Ares, you asked for it. This time you will be sorry! Let's see how much your little warrior princess will mean to you when I'm done with you!"

As Discord thought, she imagined how life had been before Xena came into Ares' life. "If only this mortal woman had never existed... Hmmmm... maybe if Ares was far away from here, maybe in another time..."

Discord was formulating a wicked plan to get back at Ares, but her powers as a Goddess were limited, especially when it came to using them on another god. But, there was someone who could use their power on Ares! Kristaphus, the sorceror! He was not just any sorceror, he was an immortal who possessed godlike abilities. His magic was the most powerful of any magician. She would use his power over the gods and send Ares on a little trip in time, AWAY from Xena!

As Kristaphus worked in his dark chamber at the foot of Mt. Olympus, he suddenly sensed another presence. "Hello, Discord! My lovely goddess, you seek my help with Ares, no?"

"Yes! How did you know? Oh, never mind... I want to send Ares on a little trip in time. Do you have a spell or something that will work?"

"Ahh! I do! Yes! I have a spell that will send any god into a future time, BUT..it will only work on a god, not a mortal.!"

"PERFECT! That is exactly what I want! Let's do it!" Discord smiled deviously, as she watched Kristaphus begin his magic... "Ok, Ares, we'll see about your little obsession now!"

Ares sat in a golden chair that was trimmed in black velvet. Unconsciously, his fingers stroked his well-groomed beard as he imagined how his existance throughout eternity could be...if only Xena could see fit to agree. Yes, he could truly take her away from the hum-drum life which she called "normal ..."

As he thought this, he suddenly found himself sitting on top of a concrete curb in San Francisco! Bewildered, he sprang to his feet. The noise and the smog immediately aroused his disgust, and he looked all around, wide-eyed. What were these great chariots that moved along so fast? What type of trail could this be, with no mud holes or horse trails? And look at those ridiculous clothes which these people wore!

His attention became centered on a crowd of disgruntled young men, who carried sticks and chains in their hands. They were advancing toward Ares, and there was no hint of friendship in their faces. His eyes narrowed as he watched them, and he was just about to command them to stop when...

Behind him, he heard another disturbance. Turning, he saw another group of disgruntled youth as they made their way toward him. "Aha! That's it... two gangs! I walked in on a fight!"

The two gangs stopped a short distance apart and began yelling insults at each other. Ares was intrigued at the knives that these street people carried, but what were these funny-looking things in their hands? He sat down again, preparing to enjoy a good fight.

When the fight started, loud noises rang out, and several youths fell to the ground. They were dead! Ares looked up, hoping to find out what caused this instantaneous death. Suddenly, one man raised a gun and fired a burst of loud shots which sent the others scurrying! "The chicken-hearted fools!" he thought. "I would never run! But, I want this weapon for myself! Why, with an army of my men, armed as such, think of the limitless possibilities..."

"Hey, you there!" a voice yelled in derision. "Who you think you be?"

Ares looked all around, but he saw no one else. "Are you talking like that...TO ME?"

The thugs advanced toward Ares, who thought it might be fun to show them who was in charge. He stood and faced the advancing mob, who laughed and threw insults at him.

"Hey dude, who do you think YOU'RE talking to? Haha, check this guy out! Like, you going to some kind of costume party or something? And check out his shiny little sword! Hahaha!"

Being easily riled, Ares raised his hand and threw a fireball at the crowd of gang members, sending them diving for cover.

"Whoa! What was that? Man, you're one weird dude! Chill, ok! Like umm...how did you do that fire thing? That was awesome! Can you, like, show us how to do that?"

Ares was getting more confused by the minute! Where was he? Why were things so strange here?

"All right! Stop right there!" The gang members suddenly took off in all different directions when a cop rounded the corner.

"Hey you! Halt and put your hands against the wall!"

Ares realized that this funny looking soldier was talking to him. Deciding that it would be to his best interest to get away from this situation he tried to disappear in his usual manner, but it didn't work! He was still standing, with the soldier coming at him, waving one of those strange exploding weapons! Sensing a fight, he instinctivly reached for his sword. It was GONE! One of those kids took it and he didn't notice it! No powers! Without his sword, he was a mere mortal!

"Oh, this is just great!" Ares was not going to let this soldier get him, so he did the only thing he could think of and that was to...Run!

"Discord!" Zeus' voice boomed across Mt. Olympus. As Discord appeared before him, Zeus noticed her defiant glare. "What have you done to Ares?"

"Oh, he's fine. I just sent him on a little trip."

"You have gone too far this time, Discord! What ever you have done, I command you to undo it immediatley and bring him back!"

However, Discord was not about to let Ares off that easily this time. He needed to learn a lesson once and for all.

"I'm sorry, but I can't undo it. You see, it was not my powers that sent him where he is. The sorceror did it, but it seems that Ares has managed to lose his sword and is now mortal. The spell will only work if he is a god. Sooo..the sorceror can't bring him back."

Zeus was furious! "Well, we'll see about that! Find Artemis, NOW!"

As Zeus furiously paced up and down while he awaited Artemis, Discord silenty disappeared from the room, sensing that she'd better stay clear of Zeus until this thing with Ares was settled.

"Yes, Father? You were looking for me?" Artemis spoke as she entered the room.

"Yes, I need your help. It seems that your brother has managed to get himself sent into the future and has lost his sword, thus losing his godhood -and I nor the sorceror can bring him back without it!"

"Well, what exactly do you want me to do about it, Father?"

"I can't risk sending another god after him, so we need to send a mortal. A mortal, who is expendable, can at least help him to regain his power so I can bring him back . As long as we can get Ares, nothing else matters."

"So who do you plan to send?" Artemis asked, although she already had a feeling who it would be.

"Xena! She is the only mortal who is capable and knows Ares well enough to find him and get the sword back."

"And why do you think that Xena would want to help you or Ares? She has no use for us Gods, and least of all for Ares!"

"She will help! I will make sure of it. Now find her...give her my request, and I will do the rest!"


	2. Chapter 2

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent._

Part II

Good Morning, San Francisco!

It had been a long, tiring day. The trip from Corinth had been interrupted by a couple of highwaymen with the wrong idea of how to make a couple of dinars, and then a steady rain decided to set in. The two travelers were soaked to the bone, tired and ready to settle down for some much needed warmth and rest.

"Boy, finding this cave in this rain is a blessing, Xena! I'll see if I can find some dry wood for a fire, ok?"

"Ok, Gabrielle, I'll get our stuff ready. I'm exausted! That blanket and fire is going to feel nice."

The two women warmed themselves and dried off from the rain. Xena looked up suddenly, sensing they had a visitor, when a bright light appeared.

"Artemis! What brings you here?" Xena asked. "You wouldn't happen to have any dry clothes and food on you, would you?"

"Sorry, Xena, I'm afraid not. But I do have a message, or I should say, request, from Zeus."

"Zeus? What would he possibly request from me? He knows that I have no use for him or any gods. No offense intended, Artemis..."

"None taken, Xena. I know they are not exactly on your list of favorites." Artemis looked at Gabrielle and the fire, then said,"It's Ares again. Discord sent him into the future to teach him a lesson. He lost his sword and..."

"And now he can't get back, right?"

"Right! You are the only mortal who could pull this rescue off."

"Sorry, Artemis," Xena smiled. "I would like to shake Discord's hand for doing it! Ares has caused me a lot of grief!"

"I know, but..."

"Tell Zeus that I'm not interested. I'm through trying to help the gods!"

"But, Xena..."

"NO! Artemis, I'm not interested!"

Artemis sighed with disgust, waved her hand over her head and disappeared.

Watching what had transpired, Zeus smiled and said, "We'll see about that, Xena! We'll see!"

"Can you imagine the nerve of Zeus! To think that I would actually want to help him bring Ares back! Hahaha!"

"That's pretty bold of him to assume something like that, Xena!"

Xena and Gabrielle laughed at the audacity of the gods, as they lay down and drifted off to a well-earned sleep. Suddenly, a soft light surrounded the sleeping women, lifting them up and vanishing with it's unsuspecting cargo!

Gabrielle rolled over and pulled the blanket around her to block out the chilled morning air, when a loud sound brought her out of her sleepy haze. As she sat up with a jolt, she looked around her. Something was definintly wrong here! There was a huge metal structure above her head, and a lake! How did they get to a lake? This was not just any lake, it was huge! And what was that awful noise? Those things rushing over the metal thing? She looked over at her sleeping companion.

"Xena! Xena! Wake up! Now! Come on, you gotta see this!"

"What! Gabrielle, leave me alone..I'm not ready to get up yet"...just then Xena heard the noise too; and , hearing a sea gull overhead, realized that something wasn't right. Peering out of the edge of her blanket, her blue eyes snapped open in shock!

"What the...? Where are we? " Looking up at the huge metal structure in amazement, she angrily snarled out, "ZEUS! I should have known he would do something despicable like this!"

"Well, what do you think we should do? How are WE going to get back home, Xena?"

"I have a feeling that we're going to have to find Ares in order to get back home, Gabrielle." Xena sighed in disgust. She wasn't crazy about having to deal with Ares, and finding him in this huge, strange place was not going to be easy!As she surveyed the grim scene, she said,"Ares must be near. We can hope that Zeus would at least have enough sense to send us in the same general area where Ares is."

"This place is so strange, though. I've never seen anything like this before..."

"We'd better find him, fast! I want to get out of this place as soon as I can. What's that awful smell in the air, anyway?"

"I don't know, Xena, the air is so thick and heavy. Let's just find Ares and get out of here."

The two women got up and looked around. Deciding on which direction to start in, they slowly and cautiously headed down the sidewalk towards the city. As they walked they noticed how strangly the people were dressed. This was really different!

"Xena, why are those people staring at us? It's creepy! Boy, they really look strange!"

"I think they think WE look strange, Gabrielle. We may have to find some of those funny- looking clothes ourselves so we won't look so conspicuous. But first, we've got to find Ares!"


	3. Chapter 3

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent_

**Part III**

**Street People**

**"H**ere ya go, ol' buddy! Have another shot o' wine!" the snaggled tooth old drunk said. "Where'd ya say ya wuz from?"

"I'm from Mt. Olympus. You know, the home of the gods, " Ares said, as he drank a couple of swallows of wine. Sensing a bitter taste in the wine, he asked, "What do you call this again, Thunderbird?"

"Waal, ahh never been thar, but I heered of it. It's up in 'laska, ain't it?"

Ares had taken refuge in an alley with a drunk. As they shared a bottle of cheap wine that Ares had taken from yet another street person, he learned much of city life in this place. He was not pleased with being mortal, and the smog and the stench of the sewers was totally beneath his dignity. Yet, for the moment, he was content to rest and learn.

"Well, ya look like one o' them gang members from over at Chinatown."

"Well, I'm no gang member, I'm a god."

"Oh, they's from Chinatown, too!"

Ares knew that his sword held the key to his survival and his return to Mount Olympus. He had no idea where to go or who to talk to, though. This place was completely foreign to him."If I had my sword, I would make a few changes here," he thought. "But first, the ones who took my sword - I will have to start with them."

Meanwhile, Xena and Gabrielle stood in amazement as a man talked on a cell phone.

"What is he doing?" Gabrielle asked, with a bewildered look in her face. "I'd swear he thought he was talking to someone!"

"Just look at their clothes," Xena said in a dry voice. "They are interesting- looking, but what kind of cloth are they made of?" She eyed the blue jeans and T-shirts of some youths. "We should get clothes like they wear so we will blend in with the crowd!"

"Well, we don't have any money, Xena. How are we gonna get new clothes-steal them?"

Xena's face brightened as a wicked smile came over her lips. "That's what I have in mind!"

Just then, two women walked past. "They're just our size, Gabrielle! Come on!" Xena and Gabrielle took off behind the two unsuspecting women.

A few minutes later..."These clothes feel really good," Gabrielle said as she admired the tennis shoes on her feet.

"Well, I prefer my leathers, but these will do for now! Xena liked the feel of the blue jeans and the T-shirt she was wearing."

The two bewildered women were bound and gagged, sitting in the hedges beside the sidewalk. In amazement, they wondered who those two loonies were that stole their clothes.

"Look, Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed as she brought a large roll of paper money from a pants pocket. "What do you suppose this green stuff is?"

"I have some, too. Lots of it! They have some funny looking kind of script on them and pictures. Well, we'd better hang on to it, Gabrielle. It might come in handy before this is over!"

"Now. Where is Ares? I hope he isn't far away."

Xena and Gabrielle started walking down the street, this time looking like part of the crowd. This was going to make things a little easier!

After they walked a little way, Xena stopped and held up her hand. "Listen, Gabrielle!" She cocked her ear to one side. "Do you hear that? It sounds like Ares!"

"It does! Down there! Let's go!"

The pair scurried into the alley where the voice was coming from. There, to their relief, sat Ares!

"Xena! I see my father talked you into rescuing me! Very good idea! And I see you brought your little friend." Ares remained seated, in his usual arrogant manner. Eyeing Xena's new clothes over, "Nice look!"

"Ares, now listen to me! This ain't no social call, this is serious!"

"Would you tell this peasant who I am?"

"Of course. He's Ares, God of War!"

The drunk smiled, holding his almost empty bottle in hand. "I told him he musta come from Chinatown! Thaz whar the gods stay."

Xena rolled her eyes, then grabbed Ares by the collar. "Tell me what happened and who took your sword!"

"If I KNEW that, Xena, I would already have it! But I'll show you where I was when it was stolen. But we'd better be careful- there's a soldier looking for me. And you wouldn't believe the weapons they have here! Awesome! One loud noise and instant death! I got to get some of those for my army! Oh, by the way...you wouldn't happen to know why I'm here would you?"

As they prepared to find the place where the sword was stolen, Xena tried to explain to Ares all about Discord and the spell, and Zeus' scheme to send them to find him.

The trio bid farewell to the drunk, and started out of the alley. Gabrielle handed the drunk a hundred dollar bill and said, "Thanks!"

The drunk gasped and said, "A hunnert bucks! Wow, lady, thanks!"

Xena raised an eyebrow as she headed out of the alley. "Do you think that green stuff is dinars?"

Ares related the entire story, and showed them the spot where it all happened. He was sure that the thief was one of the ones in the gang. They noticed a lot of people stirring in the place, and realized that this was to their benefit. "If I see one of them I'll recognize them," Ares said.

"Then, leave the rest to me!" Xena narrowed her eyes. "The sooner we get that sword back, the sooner we can get out of this place!"

Suddenly Ares sat upright. "Look! There's one of them! He angrily pointed at the gang member.

Xena jumped up and confronted the hoodlum, who stopped in his tracks and laughed. "What the...well, hello baby, what can I do for you?"

Ares stepped up from behind Xena. "Do you remember me?'

The hoodlums eyes widened and he bolted, running for freedom. But Xena was too quick for him. She reached down and grabbed a trash can lid and sent it spinning like her chakram. The lid caught the thug in the back, flattening him in his tracks.

Ares grabbed him by the collar and picked him up. "My sword! Where is it?"

"Lemme go! I don't know anything about no sword!" The hoodlum then drew a switchblade knife and prepared to slice Ares with it. Xena caught his arm, wrenching the knife from his grip. "Hmmm, nice knife! Now, for the last time, where's the sword?"

"I told you, I don't know nothing about no sword!"

Ares eyes grew very angry. "I'll break you in half, you little..."

"No, Ares!" Xena interrupted. "Let ME handle this!" With that, she quickly put her pinch on the hoodlum. He fell to his knees, in utter disbelief.

"I've cut off the blood supply to your brain! You have thirty seconds to talk or you're dead!" Xena grinned.

The thug gasped for breath, and blood began to drip from his nostrils. "I...I will...talk..."

"Then do it fast! I'm running out of patience!"

"A...man, in Chinatown. I'll...take you there..."

Just before he blacked out, Xena released the pinch. He gasped and tried to shake off the effects of the lethal maneuver.

"Now, next time, I won't be so nice!" Xena threatened. "Take us there...NOW!"

"It's in Chinatown. We need a cab to get there, and I don't have any money to get one."

"How much?" Gabrielle asked, holding up a green bill.

"A hundred bucks!" the hoodlum exclaimed. "That'll get us there!"

As they walked, the thug told them about a rich man who collected swords and ancient weapons. As he waved down a cab, the four climbed in.

The cab lurched into motion, startling Ares, Xena, and Gabrielle. They hung on to the door handles for dear life, wide eyed and breathing hard. "Relax, you act like you never been in a car before!"

"Oh, we're just not from here!" Gabrielle nervously interjected, only to be interrupted by Xena.

"No tricks, you hear?


	4. Chapter 4

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent._

**Part IV**

**Chinatown**

**"T**hat'll be twenty bucks!" the cabbie exclaimed. Gabrielle handed him a hundred dollar bill, and he snarled, "What...you want me to make change for that? Hey Lady..."

But the four were already out of the cab. Everyone was thankful to be back on the ground, except for the gang member. The cab sped away, keeping the change for himself.

"Lady, that guy kept your money!" The man exclaimed.

"Well, we made it here, didn't we?" Gabrielle shrugged.

"Now, you get us to this guy, and no tricks!" Xena demanded. "If you lead us to the wrong place, you'll be sorry!"

They hurried into an alley, which led to the street where the antique collector's studio was located. As they rounded a corner, they witnessed two rival gangs that were about to fight. The street gang member recognized the Chinese gangs, who often fought over territorial rights. "Don't nobody move!" He whispered.

Suddenly the Chinese standoff ended. A threat was shouted by one side and countered by the other. Then dozens of shots rang out as gang members pulled pistols and submachine guns. Ares and Xena were spellbound at the destructive power of these weapons, while Gabrielle was horrified. However, all four stayed very still!

"I've gotta get some of those for my men!" Ares whispered. "Just imagine that...me with one of those!"

"Yeah, it fits you just right," Xena said with raised eyebrows. "Now, if I had one..."

Suddenly the shooting was over, leaving half a dozen youths dead on the street, and many others were wounded. As both gangs emerged from their hiding places, new challenges were shouted.

"Now, watch this!" The gang member told Ares.

The hand-to-hand fight ensued. With horrifying speed and skill, the gangs fought with their martial arts skills. The weapons they brandished now were strange to the threesome, who saw their deadly use displayed. The fight lasted for only several minutes, then everyone was gone. The only ones remaining were either dead or so badly injured that they could not run.

"See that? It happens here all the time!" the gang member informed them. "Now, we gotta go before they come back!"

"Come on, Ares! First things first!" Xena was trying to hurry Ares up as he stooped to pick up a machine gun. "You couldn't want it anymore than I do, but right now we've gotta get moving!"

As they stepped out of the alley, they were right in front of the Green Dragon, which was an antique gallery. The gang member said, "This is the place. Be very careful, because he is dangerous, a big time drug dealer. He has people working for him who will kill you for a nickel."

"What's a nickel?" Gabrielle asked.

"What's a drug dealer?" Ares asked.

Xena looked intently at the Green Dragon sign above the door of the gallery. It was strangly familiar...

"Oh, Ares! Put that thing down before you kill all of us with it!" Xena was getting impatient with him over that gun. "At least hide it, for gods sake!"

Reluctantly, Ares hid the AK-47 he was holding. "I'll get it when we come out!"

As they prepared to enter the Green Dragon, the gang member warned, "Don't do anything stupid, OK? I don't want to get killed!"

Upon entering, Xena saw many symbols and banners. Her mind returned to Chin, where she had seen similar symbols. There were beautiful paintings and oriental rugs, and ancient vases, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. She smiled as she remembered Lao Ma and the things she had taught her.

Ares quickly noted a huge display of swords. They were Ninja and Samuri swords, with gleaming blades of the finest steel. His eyes searched vainly for the Sword Of War, which was not being displayed.

"It's not here, Xena!" He whispered. "I've seen all the swords and mine's not here!"

"He may have it in a private collection," the gang member said." Lady, can I go now? I mean I brought you here, now, didn't I?"

"If this is the right place!" Xena whispered anxiously. "If your trying to pull something..."

Just then a well-dressed gentleman approached, wearing an expensive suit and tie. He had a concerned look on his face until he recognized the gang member, when his eyes brightened and he called the man by name. "Ramone! That piece you brought me last night is out of this world!"

"Yeah, well... my friends here would like to see it, too."

"Ah! But that is impossible, it's not for sale!"

"Could we please see it?" Gabrielle asked in as sweet a voice as she could muster.

"Yeah, it's mine!" Ares boomed. "It was stolen from me last night! I want it back right now!" His huge arms bulged under his black vest. The gentleman saw, by the look in Ares' eyes, that he wasn't kidding.

The gentleman then looked at the gang member with a puzzled look in his eyes, while the man just shrugged back at him.

"One moment, please!" he said as he walked away.

"Oh, that's just great! You idiot! You told him who we are and ruined our whole plan!" Xena gritted her teeth as her eyes burned through Ares.

"Well, it's mine!" Ares said in a haughty voice. " I want it back...now! ...What plan?"


	5. Chapter 5

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent._

**Part V**

**The Chase**

**"****Y**ou there!" a voice boomed across the antique gallery as three men in black suits emerged from a doorway, flanked by the manager of the gallery. "What do you want?"

"I want my sword back!" Ares shouted. "It was stolen from me last night and I want it back...now!"

"Hey, you get out of here! We don't need any kind of street riff-raff coming in here, trying to throw their weight around!"

Ares looked at Xena with a puzzled expression on his face. "Riff-raff? What's riff-raff?"

"Beats me, but I think he's calling us low-down scum or something!"

"You get out now, or I'll..." The man's threat was cut short as Ares belted him in the mouth with his burly fist! The others immediatly sprang to the assistance of the first, but Xena shouted her battle yell, did a mid-air flip, and drop-kicked both men in the faces.

As they tried to regain their footing, each man pulled handguns from hidden holsters under their coats. Gabrielle, who was admiring a display of staffs, took one in hand and disarmed two of them.

A shot rang out from the third man's weapon, and the bullet broke a plate glass window. Xena took a handful of shiny throwing spikes and hurled them at her assailant, piercing his body like a pin-cushion. He gasped as he fell to the floor, dead.

Ares slugged one assailant, knocking him unconcious. Gabrielle beat the last one with her staff, also knocking him unconscious.

"Way to go, Ares!" Xena was impressed at Ares fighting skills as a mortal. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Xena, the other guy is getting away!" Gabrielle yelled.

"Let's get him!" Xena urged.

Out through the back door, the manager ran to a black Mercedes that was parked there. He jumped in and started the motor.

Xena picked up a handgun and grabbed the gang member, Ramone, who was hiding during the whole encounter with the armed men. As she yanked him out the back with her, she yelled, "He's getting away, and you're going to help us catch him!"

The three warriors, dragging Ramone along, ran to a parked car. The windows were open and the key was still in the ignition.

"Get in!" Xena demanded, as everyone climbed into the car. Xena sat at the wheel, then realized that she didn't know how to drive. "How do you make it go?"

"You turn the key!" the terrified Ramone said, "Like this!" He turned the key, starting the car. "Now, you pull this down here and..."

The tires squealed as Xena stomped on the gas pedal. The car lurched into motion, with Xena gripping the wheel in terror!

"STOP! STOP! The other..." the gang member shrieked. But it was too late. The car crashed into a row of other parked cars, immediatlely stopping the onward charge of Xena and her group of terrified passengers!

Xena jumped out of the car and said, "So much for this!"

But then, things started to look better... A policeman on horseback galloped up to the scene of the accident. Before he could say or do anything, Xena did a handspring, and yelling "yiyiyi!" landed behind the policeman. She grabbed him and bodily threw him off the horse to the ground, then kicked the horse into a gallop. She KNEW how to drive one of these!

Ares and Gabrielle were still sitting in the wrecked car in total disbelief, when Gabrielle spoke, "Well, now what?"

Ramone, who was still sitting in the front seat, turned to Ares and Gabrielle. In a terrified voice, he said, "You people's crazy! I'm gettin' outta here!" He threw the mangled door open and fled for his life!

Ares' attention became focused on a motorcycle, whose rider stopped to survey the wreckage. "Now, I like that!" he exclaimed, as he admired the black and shiny chrome Harley.

"How do you make it go?" He asked the bewildered rider.

"Your kidding," the rider said.

"Nope. Show me!" Ares was rather intimidating as he stood beside the Harley.

The rider showed him the gears, the throttle, and the brakes. As he revved the motor, Ares decided that this was for him!"

"Come on, Gabrielle!" Ares yelled as he knocked the motorcycle rider out with his huge fist. He took the AK-47, slung it across his back, and sat on the Harley.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Ares?" Gabrielle asked as she reluctantly climbed on behind him.

"Hey, this is me here! I can do any...!" Before he could finish speaking, the bike roared sending black smoke from a spinning rear tire! The ride was under way!

"Ares! Slow this damn thing down!" Gabrielle shrieked, as she held on for dear life.

"We've got to catch up with Xena!" Ares ground on the gears, and played with the brakes. However, he learned fast. Soon they were roaring through the alley, in hot pursuit of Xena.

As they left the alley, they ran up on the sidewalk, scattering hundreds of terrified pedestrians and wrecking several sidewalk displays, before bouncing and flying off the curb back onto the street.

"There she is!" Gabrielle pointed. "Please, Ares! Stop this thing and let me off!"

"Ahhh! Trust me!"

Just then, a car crossed in the intersection in front of them. Ares and Gabrielle both yelled as the motorcycle hit the car, throwing them bodily through the air. They landed in a hedge row, which softened their impact.

Standing and brushing himself off, Ares said, "See I told you I had it under control!"

Gabrielle glared at him with fire in her eyes as they started walking to find Xena. But Xena was easy to track, because she left a huge trail of wrecked cars and bewildered pedestrians everywhere she'd been. There was much excitement as she galloped down the middle of the street in pursuit of the Mercedes!

They followed her trail to a mansion where the black Mercedes was parked. The man they sought must be inside! Xena was there, too, and saw them as she quietly shooed the horse away.

Waving at them to follow her, Xena exclaimed, "Come on! He went through that door!


	6. Chapter 6

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent._

**Part VI**

**In The Mansion**

**T**he mansion was a huge place. The threesome were amazed at all they saw. They still didn't understand the glass windows or the automobiles, and the electric lights were obviously a miracle in themselves.

As they crept through the mansion, the library caught Gabrielle's eyes. "This must be...like, scrolls! The pages are all the same size, but look at the way they are held together!" Scrolls, no matter what they looked like, were special to her.

"Come on, Gabrielle!" Xena whispered. "We don't have time for this!"

The sound of voices caught their attention, along with music. As they peered around a corner, they saw a big-screen TV. A program was on, and they were amazed that people walked and talked inside a box in such a manner. Then, a commercial came on, showing food and laughing children.

"What is this?" Gabrielle was awed by this strange thing. "I can't believe what I'm seeing here!"

Ares, who saw a Baywatch commercial, was very excited. "I must get one of these for my temple!"

"Yeah, but right now, let's find the sword!" Xena urged. "Then we can worry about everything else!"

"Well, they know we're here," Gabrielle was sure of it. "I mean, with the chase, and the big fight in that place..."

"I know, and they are hiding from us right now. We have to be alert, or they'll get the drop on us. Come on..." Xena was already in the adjoining room, but she turned and saw that she was alone. The others were still watching the TV.

She went back to the other room, and found both Ares and Gabrielle still watching the TV. Impatiently, she urged, "Come on! We have work to do here..."

As the two joined her, they headed back into the next room. As Xena turned to follow them out, a voice on the TV said, "In the time of Ancient Gods, Warlords and Kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero...she was..." Xena stopped for a second and looked back at the TV. Then, shaking her head, "Naaah! Couldn't be!" went on to join the others in the adjoining room

Ares noted everything in the mansion. He nodded in approval at some of what he saw, and finally said, "I need to add a few of these things to my place, when I get back."

"You mean, IF you get back, Ares! If you'd kept up with that sword we wouldn't be here in the first place!" Xena was losing patience as she anticipated what they would likely be facing soon.

Suddenly, a telephone rang, making all three jump. As they looked around nervously they saw a phone on the table.

"That's like the thing we saw people talking into!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Do you think..."

The phone quit ringing abruptly. Xena stood over it for a minute looking it over, then she carefully picked up the receiver. In the silence, the threesome heard voices coming from the phone.

"They're here in the house right now!"

"Who are they?"

"Hell, if I know! They're after the sword, though!"

"Well, do whatever you have to in order to get rid of them. Kill 'em, and dispose of 'em in the bay!"

"Yes sir, Ming Lao, I'll take care of it."

Xena hung up the phone, and whispered to herself, "Ming Lao?" snapping out of her thought, she looked at Ares, "They have the sword, here. They must want it real bad, because they plan to kill us to keep us from getting it back."

"Let's go!" Ares frowned and started for the doorway.

Just then they heard approaching footsteps. As the trio hid behind a desk, a man entered the room.

"The man we chased from the gallery!" all three thought silently. Xena stood up behind him in complete silence. When he turned around, terror gripped his face.

"No!" he gasped. "You!"

"That's right! Now, enough games!" Xena grinned, raising one eyebrow." The sword!"

"I...I don't have it..."

"Liar!" Ares said as he jumped up, holding the AK-47 in his hands. "I'm losing my patience!"

"OK, OK! I'll take you to it!"

"Then do it!" Xena demanded. "And no tricks!"

As they walked down the hall, the man suddenly reached up and pushed a button. A loud alarm went off, the man bolted and turned pulling out a handgun and aiming it at Ares.

Ares threw down on him with the machine gun. "B-r-r-r-r-att!" the gun spit fire with much authority. The man was killed instantly.

Ares, grinning from ear to ear, said, "Yes! This is really me!"

The rest of Ming Lao's henchmen heard the gunshots and ran to assist the fallen gallery manager. Hearing shouts and footsteps approaching, the trio hid in the adjoining room. As they crouched behind a curtain in a corner, again Xena saw the Green Dragon emblem on the wall.

"Ming Tien! That's where I've seen this dragon before! It was his crest. You don't think..." Xena thought to herself.

Suddenly three men with guns poised and ready, burst into the room. Ares shot the gun again, killing all three in their tracks.

Xena motioned for Ares and Gabrielle to follow her. Ming Lao's henchmen knew where they were now, thanks to Ares' noisy new toy. They would have to find another hiding place. While they were in this room, Gabrielle noticed some photos on the desk. They showed Ming Lao's men standing over the bodies of several people, some of which were children! They looked like they had been shot with some of these loud weapons, and there were others who were bound and looked as thought they had been beaten. "Xena, I don't know who this Ming Lao is, but if this is his work then he must be a very evil man, maybe even a warlord..."

As Xena looked over the photographs, she had a strange feeling that Gabrielle was right- they were dealing with much more than a sword thief here.

"You're right, Gabrielle. There are many things about this place that have the stench of evil. Let's go..."


	7. Chapter 7

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent._

**Part VII**

**The Green Dragon**

**T**he threesome quietly made it out of the room and started down the hall. Hearing footsteps, they stopped and ducked behind an open door. A woman, who looked like a servant, possibly, came out of a room carrying an armful of laundry. After she rounded a corner and was out of sight, they proceeded down the hall. Finding the room she had come from, Xena noticed stairs going down into an underground room.

"Down here! Let's go!" Slowly climbing down the stairs, they could hear voices and much shuffling around. There were several men loading large square things into one of those moving things. A big one! Xena put her finger to her lips to silence her companions and try to make out what the men were saying.

"We'd better get a move on! Ming Lao wants this shipment on the plane before dark, because he wants the deal to go down quickly. We got to get that sword out of here now!"

"Yeah, that was a good plan, slipping the heroin in the same crate as that fancy sword he's shipping to Hong Kong."

"Ming Lao is shrewd, he made a bundle off the dope _and_ the sword! Hahaha!"

"My sword! It's got to be my sword they're talking about! Ares started to jump up and take off down the stairs, when Xena grabbed him. "Are you crazy! If we go down there now it will be all over! We have to be careful!"

"Careful? Xena, the sword is right there, I say we go get it!"

"No! There is something about this Ming Lao...I have a feeling about him. Trust me, Ares, please! If he is who I think he is, he must be stopped."

"Ok...But how are we going to do that?"

"Don't worry, I have an idea. Just follow me."

Hiding behind a stack of wooden crates, the three watched as the two men got into the large moving thing. "Now! Xena whispered as she took off toward the truck and jumped up into the back of it! Come on! Hurry!" Gabrielle and Ares hurridly caught up and jumped up into the back of the truck with her.

"Ok, Xena, now what?" Gabrielle looked at her with a very uneasy look.

"Xena! The sword is in that thing, right there! Let's just get it and then poof, we're home!" Ares begged.

"Not yet!"

Suddenly the truck stopped, and all three warriors gasped as the cover was yanked up from the back, and a man with a gun was looking at them, smiling.

"Well! Well! Looky what we got here! Ok, get down -nice and easy! Ming Lao is going to be very happy to see you three!"

The gunman marched Xena, Gabrielle and Ares into a large building; and, after ordering another gunman to tie them up, waved the gun at them and laughed. "Looks like we're going to have us a little party tonight!" Reaching his hand down, he stroked the side of Xena's face, as she jerked away from the stench of his tobacco-stained hand."Yes, a real nice party!" He then leered at Gabrielle. Looking then at Ares, he said, "And you get to watch your girlfriends have all the fun! And then _they_ get to see you die! Hahaha!"

Just then the door burst open and a small group of men walked in. Stepping from behind them a smaller man appeared.

Xena's eyes opened wide in surprise as she beheld the man's face! "Ming Tien!" She thought to herself. "It can't be! I killed him...and this is the future..and...but how? And the jade crest he is wearing on that necklace! It's the same Green Dragon!"

"Ahh, good evening, my friends. I see I finally get to meet the illusive strangers who have been giving my men such a difficult time today. I am Ming Lao. I don't know who you are or what you want, but that is not important anyway. You see, you have seen too much of my private business today so now you will all die."

Xena barely heard a word he said, for she was so focused on the necklace that Ming Lao was wearing. Noticing her intently staring at it, Ming Lao spoke. "You like this, my dear? It is very pretty, isn't it. It's my family crest, from the ancient houses of Ming and Lao. They say it's been in my family for over two thousand years. Fascinating, isn't it?"

Seeing that Xena wanted desperately to speak, he ordered his man to remove her gag.

Catching her breath from the foul taste of the dirty rag that had been in her mouth, she began." Yes, it is fascinating. I have seen that crest before, it was made by a friend of mine. Her name was Lao Ma. She made it for her son, Ming Tien, who was nicknamed The Green Dragon by his father, Ming Tiu. The last time I saw it was years later after he was grown. It was embroidered on his robe when ..." her voice trailed off again to silence.

Ming Lao was astounded! How could this be? This woman who he had never seen before, a total stranger, knew the history of his family crest and his ancestors! It was as if she had actually been there! Impossible! Lao Ma, her friend? This woman must be some kind of psychic, and a crazy one at that!

"Enough! This is all very interesting. But we must get to the matter at hand. Take them to the pier by the bay and kill them!" Ming Lao stated nervously as he looked into Xena's eyes.

While Xena and Ming Lao had been talking, Ares had manage to snag the ropes binding his hands on a jagged piece of metal behind him. As the ropes snapped in two, he slowly reached over, still keeping his hands behind him out of the view of the gunmen, and untied Xena's hands, then Gabrielle's. As Ming Lao gave the order to his men to remove the prisoners, all three jumped up at once and layed into their captors!

As they fought, Ares managed to disarm one of the men, retrieving another AK-47! Gabrielle picked up an iron pipe and, using it as a staff, was holding her own very well with another gunman.

Xena was administering kicks and punches to two others. As she kicked the gun out of one's grip, it flew up into the air, coming down into her waiting hands just before it hit the floor. Xena looked the small weapon over, and doing as she had seen Ares do, pulled the trigger. "B-r-r-i-i-t-t!" The Mach -10 lurched in her hands. "Now, I see why Ares gets so excited!" She smiled to herself. The two gunmen she had just fought, seeing the gun in her hand, fled from the warehouse. Ares and Gabrielle subdued the two they were fighting. But where was Ming Lao? He had managed to disappear during the fight.

Just as Xena was about to start out of the door to look for him a voice came from behind her.

"Stop right there! You surely didn't think you would leave here alive, did you?" Ming Lao had the very same evil confidence in his voice that his ancestor Ming Tien had in his. Holding a pistol on the three, he laughed and glared at them.

Xena turned slowly around and faced him, holding the gun behind her. "I see that evil runs in your family, Ming Lao. You remind me very much of Ming Tien. He was evil too."

As Ming Lao slowly raised the gun in his hands, he asked, "Just how is it that you know so much about my ancestor?"

"Because I killed him!" Xena snarled, as she pulled the gun from behind her and fired!

Ming Lao lay dead on the floor of the warehouse. As Xena sat down on the floor, with a sigh, she thought to herself, "Was it finally over? Two thousand years of evil? Over?" She leaned over the body and yanked the necklace from Ming Lao's neck.

Ares had managed to find the crate with his sword in it. Breaking it open, he lifted the sword out. As he eyed Xena and Gabrielle, he said..."Let's go home...


	8. Chapter 8

_GENERAL COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. NOTE: All works remain the © copyright of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent._

**Part VIII**

**Home Again**

**A**s the three weary time travelers walked outside the warehouse, Xena stood looking out over the bay, deep in thought as she clutched the necklace.

Ares walked over and turned her to face him. "Xena, I...uh..just wanted to thank you. If you had not come, I may not have been able to find my sword, in fact I know I couldn't have with out your help. As a God I could handle it, but let's face it, as a mortal I'm not too good... Thank you, Xena!"

Xena looked at him, then smiled. "You're not such a bad guy as a mortal. You should try it more often. I guess now that you are a god again things will go back to being like they were."

Ares sighed, "Yes, I guess you're right. I can't give up trying to get my best warrior, the best in our own time AND in the future back, now can I?" They both looked at each other knowing that nothing had changed between them. Both understood and accepted that fact.

"Gabrielle...you impress me. I didn't know you were as capable as you are. Not bad!" Ares winked at Gabrielle and smiled.

"Ahh, thank you...I think..." Gabrielle laughed.

A sudden roar in the sky frightened all three warriors. As they looked up, a huge object roared low overhead. It was a Boeing 747 jet. As all three stood with eyes and mouths open wide, they were awed and speechless. The roar was so great that the earth shook under their feet. Finally, Gabrielle exclaimed, "This has been the wildest day of my life! Let's get out of here while we still can!"

Xena agreed, saying "Who'd believe us, anyhow?"

"ARES!" All three looked up as they heard Zeus' voice boom down from the sky at them!

"Father? It's time... take us home!"

Zeus then appeared before them. As he was about to wave his hand over Ares' head, it was apparent that he was not including Xena and Gabrielle!

"Wait!" Ares shouted at his father. "You can't just leave them here!"

"They are mere mortals, son, they have served their purpose. Now come..."

"NO! If they stay, I stay!" Ares was furious with his father, and looking at Zeus defiantly, he threw down his sword!

Xena could not believe what she was seeing. Ares was willing to give up his godhood for them. It made her smile, but at the same time saddened her -to know that, as a mortal, he had such a good heart, but as a god, he could never change..."

"Very well, then, Ares!" Zeus was getting impatient with the stubborn young god. And with that he waved his hand...

Ares was in his chamber looking out the window at Mt. Olympus, with his thoughts on Xena, the Warrior Princess, and how he could possibly lure her back into his service once again. Yes, his obsession with her would never end until he had her back by his side!

Xena raised slowly up from her blanket and stretched.. "Good Morning, Gabrielle! Get up... The rain has stopped and we need to get going!" As she sat up, she felt an object in her hand. She gasped as she opened her fingers, to reveal the necklace with the Green Dragon emblem...

Gabrielle yawned, saying, "Xena, I had the weirdest dream...


End file.
